Seto's First Christmas
by Kris Ice
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different
1. Chapter 1

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 1/6   
Author: Kris Ice   
Beta: Katbcoll   
Rating: PG-13   
Pairing(s): SetoxJou   
Spoilers: none   
Disclaimer:I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.   
Summery: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different.

Seto looked up frowning when his little brother ran by the door to his office for the third time. Curious, he walked over to the doorway and watched as Mokuba raced by again, muttering under his breath. "Mokuba, what are you doing?"

The younger Kaiba stumbled when he tried to turn to face his brother without slowing down. "I can't find it!"

Seto held out a hand before Mokuba could rush away again. "Can't find what?"

Blue-gray eyes rolled. "I can't find the camcorder you gave me last year. I was gonna take it with me today, but I can't find it."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going and why do you want to take it?"

Mokuba glared up at his brother. "Haven't you been paying attention? I told you that I volunteered to help set up the decorations at the Children's Center. I also volunteered to tape the kids going up to get their gifts from Santa. I just can't find my camcorder!"

The taller boy blinked and leaned back so he could see his calendar. After some quick calculations, he realized that it was Dec. 20th. "Why do you need it now? Weren't you decorating on the 24th?"

The exasperated look on Mokuba's face made Seto feel like he was the younger brother about to be called to task. "The Children's Center is a large place, nii-sama. We need to start early so we can get all the decorations up and get everything else that needs to be done finished."

Seto shook his head. "I'll help you find your camcorder. Do you need a ride to the Center or are you going to call one of the drivers?" Seto almost regretted his offer when Mokuba got a calculating look in his eyes.

"Could you drive me?" he asked, smiling. When Seto eyed him suspiciously, the younger boy sighed. "I just want you to come in and see what we've done."

Seto blinked in surprise. He could hear a lonely ache in Mokuba's voice. He hadn't realized that he'd been spending so little time with the boy. "Of course I'll look around if you want me to." He hesitated for a moment before crouching down to look Mokuba in the eyes. "I'm sorry I've been so busy It's just… you know how much I don't like the Christmas season."

Mokuba bit his lip and nodded, remembering how bad Christmas used to be for his brother. He had always gotten presents and been allowed to stay in his pajamas and play in the living room floor in front of the TV. Seto would come down much later. He had always thought that Seto had overslept until one day he had decided to go wake his brother up so they could share Christmas breakfast. That was when he learned what their adopted father's Christmas gift to Seto was. Mokuba didn't think Seto knew he knew, but he wasn't ever going to bring it up. "It's ok, nii-sama. But will you come see the Center?"

Seto offered his brother a slight smile and nodded. "Come on; let's see where you put that camera." The brilliant smile he got in return warmed his soul, except for the frozen place that never melted deep in the center of his heart.

A few hours later, he had to admit that the volunteers had done a good job on decorating the center. There were lights strung around the room and some of the older kids were finishing hanging paper garlands that the younger kids had made around the room. He wasn't too surprised to find out that Yugi and his friends were also volunteering. The tall brunette leaned against the wall, watching as kids bustled around. His lips quirked when Joey, Tristan, Yugi, and a couple of boys he didn't recognize hauled in a Christmas tree. His amusement turned into shock when they finally got the entire thing through the door. At his best guess, the giant was around sixteen feet tall. He was sure it would fit since it was going to be set up in the Center's gymnasium, but he couldn't imagine how they expected to get the monster set up.

A small woman came out of the kitchen, a look of amused exasperation on her face. "And just what do you expect to do with that?"

Joey gave her a lopsided grin. "Ah, come on Ms. Aisu, it's the first Christmas party at the Center!"

She snorted and laughed before starting to issue orders, causing Seto to smirk again. She reminded him of a miniature drill sergeant. He raised an eyebrow, almost impressed as an ingenious setup of pulleys and ropes was quickly put up by older volunteers on the catwalk led by Tristan. Soon, they had the ropes tied around the tree high enough that those on the catwalk could reach them to take them off after it was standing. Seto couldn't hold back a snicker as he tried to imagine how they planned to decorate it.

"It's good to see you enjoying yourself."

Seto directed a glare to the right, but found the words frozen in his throat. He blinked, glanced toward the group near the tree, and then turned back to the impossibility by his side. There, standing only a couple of feet away with that damnable smirk was a translucent Yugi. Only… it wasn't Yugi. He blinked again, and scowled as the vision chuckled.

"You may call me Yami," the other said, smirking as he regarded the expression on his rival's face. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me." He chuckled again. "Of course, you never believed I existed, so…" Whatever he was going to say was lost as the sound of a rope snapping. Every head jerked toward the sound in time to see the huge tree fall over. Everyone froze for a moment before a normally sweet voice started shouting Egyptian curses. Yami's eyes widened. "Aibou!" The spirit darted over to where his smaller half was trapped by the prickly branches.

Seto's lips curled at the edges as several people ran around the tree, most of them calling Yugi's name. But what was really amusing was the dark spirit partway in the tree trying to comfort his other half while his translucent butt was sticking up in the air with a branch passing through it. He couldn't hold back a few snickers as his body quivered with repressed laughter as Yugi's language became fouler the longer it took for them to haul the monster off of him. He had to put a hand over his mouth as Yami moved further into the tree to make sure his other half was unhurt. The movement placed a branch going through a very inappropriate place. He was still sniggering when they finally managed to wrap ropes around it again and lift the towering giant off of its tiny captive.

Yugi was unhurt except for a few scratches from the needles. He glared up at the huge tree as he stood. There were several more moments of chaos as Yugi tried to convince everyone that he was fine. His other half kept insisting that he should at least let Ms. Aisu make sure. Yugi glared up at Yami and must have replied in mind speech because the spirit finally backed off.

Seto made no effort to hide his smirk as the spirit came closer. A smirk that only got wider when Yami glared at him.

"It's not funny," the shorter young man growled as he leaned against the wall.

"Of course it was," Seto answered, walking around Yami to get a glass of soda from the refreshments table.

Yami raised an eyebrow, but before he could snap back, Seto interrupted him. "If you are the ancient spirit that is supposed to be inside Yugi," he looked up at Yami, "why are you out here?"

The dark spirit shrugged. "I was bored and people can't see me so I wouldn't disturb anyone if I go looking around."

Seto blinked, pausing with his drink partway up to his lips. "So how can I…?"

Yami shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I didn't even know you could until you looked up when I said something. The smaller duelist smirked. "Of course, it could be because of who you were."

Seto glared at him and didn't reply. He took another swallow and noticed some of the workers looking at him oddly. His eyes narrowed into a glare and they quickly found something to be busy with.

Yami chuckled. "They think you're talking to yourself."

Seto snorted, but looked over the decorations again. "It looks like it's going to be a big party."

Yami nodded, his face softening. "There are a lot of kids they're bringing in this year. Some from poor families, but most are orphans." Someone turned on a radio and Christmas carols started to play. He pretended not to notice the way Seto stiffened beside him. "Each of the kids was allowed to ask for one thing from 'Santa' and will be given their gift by the man who dresses as him on Christmas. There will also be a huge feast so that they will have a proper meal." A soft sound caused him to look up and he raised an eyebrow when he saw that Seto had crushed his empty paper cup. Yami caught a quick glimpse of something in blank sapphire eyes and he had the impression Seto hadn't heard a word he said. "Does this time of year bother you that much?"

Seto blinked, looked at him confused before looking down at his hand. He shook his head. "I don't like Christmas."

Yami frowned as Seto walked away, dropping his cup in the trash before he left to find his brother. The ancient spirit didn't take his eyes off the tall young man until he was out of sight. There was definitely something wrong with his rival, and Yami knew he hadn't been seeing things when he saw remembered terror in dark blue eyes. When he found out who put it there, he was going to have to play a little Game.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 2/6   
Author: Kris Ice   
Beta: Katbcoll   
Rating: PG-13   
Pairing(s): SetoxJou   
Spoilers: none   
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.   
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different. 

Mokuba filled the car with chatter as Seto drove him home after they had supper at the Center. He had been so happy that instead of just dropping him off, Seto had stayed the whole time. He was just describing the three plays the kids were going to put on when a Christmas song came on the radio. The dark-haired boy fell silent, watching as his older brother swallowed, his hands clenching the steering wheel. "Seto?" 

Seto blinked at the soft question and turned to look at his brother. Soft, sad blue-gray eyes looked up at him, a question he couldn't answer in their depths. He reached out and changed the station before replying. "I'm sorry, Mokuba." For a long moment, an uncomfortable silence hung between them. "What were you saying about Christmas plays?" 

The raven-haired boy allowed his older brother to change the subject and smiled. "The younger kids are going to put on three plays. One is the traditional Christmas Pageant about the birth of Christ," Mokuba frowned at his brother as he snorted. "We may not believe in it, but the Children's Center is being funded by donations from the St. Maria's Convent and several of the sisters volunteer there." 

Seto looked over in surprise. "I thought it was decided that the government would run the center so the children wouldn't feel pressured by an unfamiliar religion." 

Mokuba shrugged. "Technically, it is government run. The sisters don't preach anything to the kids, but when asked questions, they answer them according to their faith. The kids like them so they wanted to do this to honor the sisters. Besides, the birth of Jesus is considered the main theme of Christmas." 

Seto shook his head and his brother fell silent. After he pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine, Mokuba spoke up as he started to unfasten his belt. "Are you mad at me?" 

His older brother frowned in confusion as Mokuba stared at his lap. "For what?" 

The younger Kaiba chewed on his bottom lip before answering. "For making you get involved in all this Christmas stuff." 

Seto reached out and lifted Mokuba's chin before giving him a sad smile. "I'm not mad, Mokuba. You know I'd do just about anything for you." He brushed his fingers through raven's wing hair. "I just want you to be happy." 

"What about you?" Mokuba wrapped his hand around Seto's, his eyes fastened on his brother's. "I want you to be happy to, nii-sama." 

Seto's heart clenched and the cold frozen core seemed to be spreading. "I …" His voice trailed off, he didn't know what to say. He leaned over and hugged Mokuba, pressing his face into herbal-scented black hair. "I have you. That's all I need to be happy." 

Mokuba leaned into his brother's embrace, wrapping his arms around him the best he could in their awkward positions. They held on for a long moment before releasing each other and Mokuba smiled when he saw the darkness had lifted a bit from his brother's eyes. 

"Come on, you need to get ready for bed if you plan on getting to the Center early to work on the sets for the plays." 

Mokuba laughed. "Are you going to take me again?" 

Seto gave him a playful smile as they climbed out of the car. "I'm sure I can arrange time." 

"Oh, you!" 

The taller boy's smile faded some as his brother ran up to the door laughing. He wished that life would be that easy for him. That it would just take a bit of reassurance and the presence of someone he cared about to make everything better. His steps slowed as he remembered something Wheeler had said to him the last day of school before their break. "You just gotta make everything so complicated, don'tcha? Why don't ya just take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life? Then, you might not be such an ass." 

"Nii-sama!" 

Seto blinked and looked up in surprise as he realized that he had stopped a few feet from the door and had been staring up at the sky. Mokuba was pouting at him from the doorway. 

"Come on! You'll get sick if you stay out there too long and I want you to read me some more of that story." 

"Coming." Seto called back in answer before hurrying up to the doorway. He paused and looked up at the cloudy sky and almost smiled as he saw the first tiny white flakes falling earthward. 

It hadn't taken long to get Mokuba ready and tucked into bed, but Seto was sure that was more because of his plans for the next day rather than because the little minx was actually tired. Blue-gray eyes looked up at him in absolute trust as he sat down in the chair near his brother's bed. Once again, he silently vowed to never break that trust. "Let's see, where did I leave off?" 

Mokuba mock pouted, knowing that his big brother knew exactly where he left off. "The villains had just been attacked by the pink dragon." He giggled. "Are you sure the book says it's a pink dragon?" 

Seto smiled. "Yes. See, right there?" He pointed at the passage in question, smiling a bit wider as Mokuba fell into giggles again at the thought of a rose-colored dragon with flecks of gold and gray. Seto took a deep breath as his brother settled down and began to read. In his mind's eye, the book came to life. He could almost see the desperate battle the ragtag bunch of villains were fighting with the Dragon of Light, one that they were sure they were going to lose. But the sound of hoof beats rang through the canyon and a dark knight came to their rescue. Seto lowered the book and his lips curled into a tender smile as he watched his brother's sleeping face. He set the book down on the nightstand and kissed Mokuba on the forehead. "Goodnight, little brother. Sweet dreams." He stood and watched Mokuba for a few moments longer before slipping out of the bedroom. He paused in the hallway, torn between watching over Mokuba all night and going to his own bed. He sighed and pulled away from the door before heading toward his own room and a nice warm shower. As much as he'd rather stay up watching Mokuba, he knew his little brother would be upset to wake up and find him in there in the morning. He'd probably insist that Seto was working too hard again and demand that he take some time off. 

Seto sighed as the warm water cascaded over him, relaxing overtaxed muscles. He leaned his forehead against the cool wall of the shower and wished he could just wash away all his problems as easily. He pushed off the wall and arched his back as he ran his hands through wet hair, making sure it was completely soaked before reaching for the shampoo. As he massaged his scalp, he started humming to himself. Softly, he started to sing. 

Mokuba slipped through silent halls, trying to kill the vaguely guilty feeling that was making his stomach queasy. He knew he should really be in bed, and had fallen asleep for a few moments, but Seto's touch had woken him up. Normally, he wouldn't have worried about being quiet, but he really didn't want to get caught. He had vowed years ago to figure out just where Seto hid all his presents until Christmas since there was no way they could have been delivered Christmas Eve night. He was sure that the sound of a truck or helicopter would have woken him up. Especially since every Christmas Eve he slept near the open window so he could hear if any vehicle came. The raven-haired boy had thought long and hard about where Seto would think he would never find them. Finally, he decided that Seto's room would be the best place to look. His big brother knew he didn't go in there without an invitation, so it would be the one place a curious little boy wouldn't look. He held his breath as he cracked the door open just enough to peek into the room. The sound of running water told him that Seto was still in the shower. As he slipped into the room, he heard his brother's voice. He froze for a moment, but it didn't sound like he had been discovered. He crept closer to the half closed bathroom door and his eyes widened as he realized that Seto was singing. 

"And so this is Christmas   
For the weak and for strong   
For rich and the poor ones   
The world is so wrong   
And so Happy Christmas   
For black and for white   
For yellow and red ones   
Let's stop all the fight..." 

Mokuba felt tears well up in his eyes at the almost hopeless tone to his brother's voice. He wrapped his arms around himself, wanting desperately to go in and hold on to Seto, to make him feel better, to take away his pain. 

"And so this is Christmas   
And what have we done   
Another year over   
And a new one just begun   
And so Happy Christmas   
I hope you have fun   
The near and the dear one   
The old and the young 

A very Merry Christmas   
And a happy New Year   
Let's hope it's a good one   
Without any fear..." 

Mokuba pulled away from the door and started to slip away, but he remembered what he'd gone in there for. He almost left, it didn't seem all that important, but he knew he'd regret it if he walked away. He tiptoed over to the closet and eased the door open. Other than the hanging clothes, the closet was mostly empty. There were a few plain boxes on the shelf far above his reach. As he stepped closer, his foot bumped into something and he looked down in surprise to see a dark-colored box in the bottom of the closet. Curious, he knelt in front of it. It was actually a wooden box, the kind that a padlock could be put on. There wasn't a lock on it at the moment. Mokuba glanced toward the bathroom where the sound of running water could still be heard, and slowly opened the lid. He gasped in surprise. The box was almost full of pictures of Mokuba, Yugi and his friends. As Mokuba shifted through them, he was surprised to find that most of the pictures were of Joey. He blinked at the wide variety of candid poses, wondering how his brother had come by all the pictures. He seriously doubted that Seto would hire someone to stalk Yugi and his friends just to get pictures of them, but he was starting to think that it might just be possible considering Seto appeared in the background of a couple of the pictures. 

Mokuba quickly closed the lid and the closet door, the first hints of a plan starting to brew in the back of his mind. As he started to sneak out, he noticed that Seto was humming again. A wicked idea came to mind and he grinned as he quickly scampered down the hall. In moments, he was back with his camcorder. He slipped up to the bathroom door and pointed it at the shower stall, grateful that the frosted glass would keep Seto from noticing he was there. His older brother had finished with his hair and was starting to soap his body when Mokuba started recording. 

"...I didn't know   
That I was missing out   
Had to grow up and see the world   
Through different shades of doubt   
Give me one more chance to feel again   
Through your young heart   
If only for one day let me try..." 

Mokuba barely held back a snicker as Seto started swaying as he sang, almost dancing in the water that was cascading down on him. 

"I wanna see Christmas through your eyes   
I want everything to be the way it used to be   
Back to being a child again thinking the world was mine   
I wanna see Christmas, Christmas through your eyes..." 

Seto relished the feel of the warm water caressing him as he stood under the waterfall from the shower head. He smiled, remembering the delighted look on Mokuba's face earlier when the older kids had finished decorating the tree. 

"I see the rain, you see the rainbow hiding in the clouds   
Never afraid to let your love show   
Won't you show me how   
Wanna learn how to believe again   
Find the innocence in me again   
Through your young heart   
Help me find a way, help me try.." 

In his mind's eye, he could see the awe on the children's faces when they saw that giant Christmas tree. The delight in Yugi's eyes as he had played with the kids in front of the tree, keeping them occupied so the others could work. For many of them, this would be their first Christmas 

"I wanna see Christmas through your eyes   
I want everything to be the way it used to be   
Back to being a child again thinking the world was kind   
I wanna see Christmas, Christmas through your eyes ..." 

Ms. Aisu had read the children a story after dinner. It had amazed him that the older kids, even Joey and Tristan, had been so drawn into her story. The look of wonder and hope on their faces seemed so foreign. He let his voice trail off, sighing as the water started to turn cold. For some reason, Joey had drawn his attention the most. Normally, he looked like what everyone thought he was, a punk. But sitting there, listening to a story about a family trying to get back together for Christmas, the blond had seemed so much younger, almost innocent. Seto shook his head, turning off the water. He knew Jou better than that. The blond was about as innocent as he was. And yet... and yet Joey still seemed so pure, as if something had taken away the darkness from his heart. 

As the shower door started opening, Mokuba quickly stopped the camera and slipped out, making sure to close the door most of the way behind him. He grinned as he climbed back into his bed, the camcorder safely on his desk. He knew exactly who he was going to give the tape to. It would make the perfect Christmas gift. 

Seto curled up in his empty bed, for the first time in a long time, he felt tired enough and good enough to sleep without nightmares. He sighed, snuggling into his pillow. He hoped the good mood lasted through out the night. The tall brunette slipped into sleep, the strains of a Christmas song still echoing in his mind. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 3/6   
Author: Kris Ice   
Beta: Katbcoll   
Rating: PG-13   
Pairing(s): SetoxJou   
Spoilers: none   
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.   
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different. 

The next day found the Kaiba brothers at the Children's Center again. Seto was sitting in a chair near the refreshment table as the kids and volunteers started setting up the 'stage' where the plays would be performed. He found himself fighting off the urge to laugh as the crew of amateurs tried to get everything set up. They were practically tripping over each other. Still, he had to admit that it looked like well-organized chaos. Just as he was starting to get bored and considered going over to talk to Yugi who was working in the kitchen, Joey tripped over a plank one of the teens had accidentally left by the side of the stage, barely catching himself before he fell flat on his face. Unable to hold back, Seto snickered. 

The blond looked up and glared at the taller boy. "Oh, yeah, laugh it up, moneybags. I don't see you over here helping." 

Seto shrugged. "Why would I want to? You all look like your enjoying your little disaster area." 

Joey growled and stood, but before he could do anything else, Ms. Aisu walked in from the kitchen. The petite woman simply raised an eyebrow at Jou and the blond grimaced before picking up the violet drapes they were going to use as the stage curtains and disappeared backstage. 

Ms. Aisu walked over toward Kaiba, pushing her glasses up on her nose. It was the first time Seto had gotten a good look at her. The woman was by no means beautiful. Her nose was crooked, probably from being broken and never set. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but what really caught his attention were her piercing, dark chocolate eyes. "Don't you have something to do?" she asked that eyebrow quirking upwards again. 

Seto snorted. "I'm waiting for my brother." 

The woman frowned and tilted her head to the side. "In that case, you'd better find something to do rather than taunting the volunteers. We don't have much time to get things set up." 

Seto was about to reply when an enraged screeching caught their attention. Ms. Aisu rolled her eyes heavenward before rushing over to see what had happened now. Curious, Seto followed after her. As they rounded the corner and entered an empty room behind the stage, they saw a stunning sight. The various props for the three plays were being stored in the room and it was one of the props that was now the center of attention. A young red-head who appeared to be about ten was blushing as red as his hair while he held onto what appeared to be a small pear tree. For some reason, the tree seemed to be the source of the strange cries. Ms. Aisu walked over and looked at it then looked down at the boy. "Sam, why is there a live partridge in the pear tree?" 

Seto blinked and moved further into the room so he could see that on the other side of the tree was indeed a small plastic cage with a live partridge in it. 

The boy squirmed but answered. "It's in there because we need a partridge in a pear tree for the Twelve Days of Christmas." 

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "You were supposed to get a stuffed animal, not a real partridge. Where did you get it anyway?" 

Sam looked down, blushing harder. Ms. Aisu groaned and reached out, using utmost care to keep her fingers out of the way of the bird's beak as she detached the cage. "Come on, you'd better show me which pet shop you snatched it from." Some of the other kids started snickering and the woman glared back at them. "Knock it off. The rest of you, get back to work. You need to finish getting everything set up. If you get it all set up today, that'll leave you a couple of days to have dress rehearsals." 

As she turned away, the rest of the kids scattered, talking excitedly about what they had left to do. Seto followed Ms. Aisu to an office down the hall where she set down the cage and started pulling on her coat after urging Sam to hurry up and grab his. "Do you need a ride?" he asked, not remembering seeing another car in the parking lot. She hesitated for a long moment, wariness in her eyes. Seto tried not to flinch. He knew that look. That was the look of a survivor that was wondering if a good offer was simply the bait to trap her in another painful situation. "It would give me something to do so I won't be distracting your stage crew." 

She nodded and picked up the small cage, only to almost drop it a moment later when the bird managed to catch one of her fingers. With the fingers of her other hand gingerly holding onto the handle at the top, she followed Seto to the front door where the young red-head was waiting. 

Over the next three hours, Seto found a grudging admiration for the small woman. It turned out Sam couldn't remember exactly where he got the bird, and since he was still having problems learning to read, he didn't know which street it was on. So, they spent most of the time tracking down pet stores and asking if they sold partridges. It was starting to get dark by time they found the correct pet shop, only two blocks from the Center. By that time, Seto's temper was well past frayed, but he bit his lip, remaining silent. The child wasn't his responsibility. Still, even he couldn't hold back a small smile as he listened to the child explain to the store owner why he wanted to 'borrow' the bird. The red-head's innocence reminded him of Mokuba and in his mind's eye he could almost see his brother in the other one's place. 

The trio returned soon after with an appropriate stuffed partridge for the pear tree. As they walked in, a laughing Mokuba latched onto Seto's arm. "Come on, nii-sama, you've got to see this!" 

Curious, Seto allowed his brother to drag him into the gymnasium and blinked in surprise. While they were gone, the huge empty room had been transformed. Now it appeared to be a theater with a giant Christmas tree in the corner and tables at the end of the room opposite the stage. Paper garlands, lights, wreaths, and plastic holly branches decorated the walls. He looked down into his brother's expectant face and managed a small smile. "It looks wonderful." 

Mokuba grinned and tugged on Seto's hand again. "Come on, I helped with the stage and with the painted sleigh. We're going to blow up the reindeer with helium tomorrow so that they'll look like they're flying." 

Seto shook his head and followed after his brother as the dark-haired child gave him a tour of the room, pointing out the things he had a hand in or thought was cool. The CEO had to bite his lip to keep from laughing when he saw the wooden Santa Sleigh. It was obvious that it hadn't been made by anyone with carpentry experience. Still, he nodded and told Mokuba it looked great. He watched as Yugi's friend, Tea, called out to Mokuba, telling the younger Kaiba that if he wanted to help decorate the cookies he'd better hurry up. 

Once again, Seto sat out of the way, watching as the kids gathered on the floor near the tree. They played together in small groups while the older kids sat at one of the tables playing cards. He smirked when Joey pulled Sam into a head lock, teasing him about the partridge while some of the other boys laughed. Suddenly, a few of Sam's friends came to his rescue by tackling the older boy. 

"Hey now, seven against one isn't very even odds," Tristan protested as he came around the corner, having just finished unloading the Center's truck after picking up some more donations. In response, some of the kids abandoned the blond to tackle his friend who retaliated by tickling them. 

Seto smirked and noticed that a group of kids nearby appeared to be working on a large puzzle. For a moment, he wondered why Yugi wasn't out there helping them before he realized that the smaller duelist was probably in the kitchen with Tea and Mokuba. 

When Ms. Aisu entered with a serving cart full of hot apple cider, Seto came over to help her set the cups out on the table. She smiled in thanks, but didn't say anything for a long time. After the cups were set out, the small woman started unwrapping super sized candy canes and started placing some in the cups. Seto followed her example and soon the cups were done. Ms. Aisu noticed that she had an extra candy cane unwrapped and offered it to Seto who shook his head. "I don't eat candy." 

She blinked in surprise. "It's Christmas, surely you can make an exception for that." 

Joey snorted as he walked up and grabbed a few cups so he could start distributing them. "Don't bother with him, Ms. Aisu. He's so much of a sourpuss he hates all holidays." 

Seto snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I just don't like the accompanying insanity." 

Jou rolled his eyes. "Come on, moneybags, unbend a little would you? It's Christmas, keep it up and I'll start calling you Scrooge." 

Seto shifted uncomfortably when he noticed their 'discussion' attracting attention. He bit back his response, not wanting to burn young ears and settled for, "Bah Humbug." The kids broke out in to peals of laughter. The tall young man turned to ask Ms. Aisu a question and found the hook part of the unwrapped candy cane shoved in his mouth. While he blinked in surprise, Ms. Aisu said, "Get some sugar in your system, you need something to sweeten you up." 

Their audience started laughing and Seto fought down a blush, wondering if the petite woman even realized how her words could be taken. The blush finally erupted when Jou managed to stop laughing long enough to call out. "Hey, Kaiba, I would have figured you as the kind to like starting with sucking the shaft." 

Ms. Aisu turned to glare at Joey, a dusting of crimson on her cheeks. "That's enough, Joseph!" She rolled her eyes and looked heavenward when the kids kept laughing and Joey gave her his best devil-may-care smile. 

Seto responded by biting off the hook and chomping down on it, enjoying the look of mock horror on Joey's face. 

Half an hour later, Seto wished he hadn't been so quick to taunt the blond. Another shipment of donations had come in, and this time Ms. Aisu sent the brunette out into the snow with Tristan and Joey. He had been tempted to refuse, but he knew couldn't with all those children watching him. He muttered under his breath as he stumbled now and then, wishing he had chosen to brave the disappointment in Mokuba and those children's eyes rather than be out here in the cold. 

"What's the matter, Kaiba, afraid of a little snow?" 

Seto turned to glare at the shorter boy and opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance. He tripped over something in the snow and put his hands out to catch himself. Next thing he knew, he was buried in snow. 

"Shit!" Joey started digging around where Seto had fallen. He'd forgotten to warn the other about the deep ditch that ran beside the road on this side of the Center. 

"Damn it, Joe, didn't you tell him this was here?" Tristan demanded as he joined the blonde's efforts. 

Joey glared up at his long time friend. "I didn't get a chance." 

Tristan snorted. "You were too busy taunting him." 

Joey shrugged a guilty look on his face. "Ok, I forgot. I'm so used to avoiding it that I didn't think to tell him. 

Luckily, Seto hadn't fallen too far in the lightly packed snow. It took them only a few more minutes to pull him free of the freezing prison. Joey looked over at Tristan worriedly as he took in the fact that Seto's pale skin looked even paler and the icy boy was shivering. "Not one word," he managed to get between his lips. 

Tristan shook his head. "Why don't you get him in, Joey? I'll start unloading the truck." 

Seto shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a little cold." He tried to stand up and almost slipped back down into the ditch. 

Joey rolled his eyes. "Stop being an ass, moneybags. Let's get something warm in you then you can come back and help us unload." 

Frozen sapphire glared up at warm chocolate for long moments before Seto closed his eyes and sighed. Joey smiled up at Tristan and nodded. They parted ways with Joey helping Seto inside and Tristan heading for the truck. 

Ms. Aisu looked up in surprise as the door to the kitchen opened, surprise that quickly changed to shock. Moments later, Seto was missing both boots and coat and was seated at the table with a large mug of homemade hot chocolate in his hands and a warm hot water bottle under his feet. The young CEO glared at the small woman fussing over him. "I keep telling you, I'm fine." 

The woman shrugged. "You were freezing when Joey brought you in here, and I don't know if you know, but in temperatures this low, you can quickly freeze to death, especially when you're little more than skin and bones." 

Seto snorted and glanced around. "Where are your kitchen helpers?" 

Ms. Aisu nodded toward the door to the gymnasium. "Out there. The cookies are done and most are on platters and in the pantry for Christmas, the rest are being devoured." 

Seto snorted and took another swallow of his hot chocolate. He had to admit, it almost felt good to have someone worry about him and fuss over him. He shook his head, telling himself again that he didn't need anyone besides Mokuba. 

By time Ms. Aisu was willing to let him out of the kitchen, the truck had already been unloaded and it was time to leave. Several of the kids hugged Mokuba and said goodbye before they were hustled off to bed. Seto was watching his little brother talking with Joey and Yugi so he didn't see the small redhead walk up to him. He started when he felt small arms wrap around him. He looked down in surprise to see Sam hugging him. "Thank you for not getting mad at me," Sam said with a smile before he let go and hurried after the others. 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 4/6   
Author: Kris Ice   
Beta: Katbcoll   
Rating: PG-13   
Pairing(s): SetoxJou   
Spoilers: none   
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.   
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different. 

On the 23rd, Seto didn't bother trying to stay out of the preparations. He knew that sooner or later, Ms. Aisu or Mokuba would drag him into them. As soon as they arrived at the center, Seto hung his trench coat on a hook by the door and asked Mokuba where he could be of the most help. The younger Kaiba had stared at him in surprise for a long moment before grinning and pulling him toward the stage. In the next few hours, Seto discovered he had an artistic flair with more than computers and machines. Under his brush, scenes seem to come to life. In the end, almost all of the painting was left to the tall brunette while the other's concentrated on getting the rest of the props ready. Every now and then, Seto looked out over the seating area where others were putting cushions and festive covers over the metal folding chairs. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Bakura had joined the group of volunteers. It wasn't the fact that the pale boy was volunteering that surprised him. It was the fact that it had taken him so long to. 

Seto was painstakingly working his way through a wall for the manger scene when a loud pop followed by a hissing noise caused him to drop and roll to the side. He caught a glimpse of a brown blur that sailed over his head. He jerked up just in time to see Bakura flattened by a large inflatable reindeer. The CEO winced when the silver haired young man reacted by rolling over and grabbing at his attacker. The sudden change in his hair and the manic gleam in his eyes showed that the darker half had snatched control. Teeth sank into rubber a moment before he realized that it was a balloon. The kids who had been setting up the reindeer under the careful eye of an older girl squealed and raced off the stage to save their poor balloon pet. 

Bakura grinned at the kids before cackling. "Looks like I'm have deer for dinner tonight!" 

Over the shouted protests, Bakura laughed before taking off running. The former tomb robber dodged around Tristan just as the brunette came into the room carrying a box of ornaments that had been found in a back room. 

A small smile appeared on Seto's face as he watched other kids join in the chase, laughing as they tried to capture the elusive thief. They almost caught Bakura near the refreshment table, but he climbed up on the table and jumped off the other side, somehow managing not to knock anything over. The tall brunette couldn't help laughing as Bakura finally climbed a ladder to avoid his pack of pursuers. 

Yugi walked over to the ladder, stifling his giggles. "It looks like they treed you, Bakura. What are you going to do now?" 

The Spirit of the Ring grinned down at him. "Well, I could jump off, but I might break something. So I guess here is where I should try negotiating for my freedom. I toss down..." He glanced at the nametag on the painted on collar. "Donner here and you little monsters let me down." 

The tricolor haired boy laughed before addressing the kids. "Well? Do you accept?" 

The kids huddled up and talked in whispers for several long moments before a young black-haired girl stepped closer to the ladder. "Ok, we'll let you down as long as you drop Donner and help us fix him." 

Bakura pretended to think about it for a moment before grinning. "Deal." He dropped the reindeer and the kids cheered. The balloon was grabbed and they hurried off toward the stage area while Bakura climbed down. When he reached the bottom, Yugi smiled at him. Noticing the look, Bakura snorted. "Don't think I'm getting all soft, Pharaoh-chan. Ryou'd be pissed if I hurt one of them." 

Yugi's smile widened. "I was just going to say that you're good with kids." 

Bakura snorted again, but turned to look to where the kids were gathered around the balloon Donner, trying to see how badly he was damaged. Fierce dark amber softened. "They deserve to have some fun." 

Yugi nodded. "They've had so few good things in their lives." 

The pair stood in surprisingly companionable silence before one of the kids called. "Come on, Ryou! You agreed that if we let you down you'd help us fix him!" 

Bakura slipped away, letting Ryou take control. The lighter half smiled and jogged over to them. "So I did. Now, let's see what we can do." 

As soon as the manger scene was finished, Seto again found himself at a loss. He wandered back stage to see where Mokuba had gone off to and found his brother in an argument with some other kids. 

"Look, it's nine pipers piping and ten lords a' leaping," Mokuba repeated, sounding frustrated. 

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "No, it's nine lords a' leaping, ten pipers piping, and eleven ... um..." 

"The Twelve Days of Christmas is a partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five golden rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping, and twelve drummers drumming." 

The two boys blinked up at the older one in the doorway. Mokuba grinned. "Thanks, nii-sama!" he cried before hugging his big brother. Soon, two dark heads were bent over a piece of paper while they wrote down which order each thing came in. 

"I'm surprised you remembered all that." 

Seto turned around to find Ms. Aisu standing behind him. He shrugged. "Mokuba used to sing it every Christmas and got frustrated when he couldn't remember all of them so I memorized it so I could help him out." 

The woman smiled. "That's sweet of you." 

Seto blinked, unsure how to take that comment, but before he could respond, Ms. Aisu swept past him. "Ok, kids. Everyone grab your gear. The stage is set and I want to go through at least one dress rehearsal for each play before tomorrow." 

In light of the party the next night, Ms. Aisu encouraged everyone to leave early and get a good night's rest. Seto grabbed his trench coat and turned to call to Mokuba when he saw Tea heading over to Tristan with a branch of mistletoe. While he watched in amusement, Tristan ducked out of the way and tried to run, but found him self pinned between the tree and some of the Christmas decorations. The young CEO heard Tea laugh before she held the branch out to Tristan. After the brunette tentatively took it, Tea explained what she wanted him to do with it, using gestures to clarify her point. Since the young woman had her back to him, Seto wasn't sure what was up, but he did see Tristan relax and nod. 

Tristan sighed in relief before chuckling. "You really scared me there for a moment." 

Tea laughed again. "Why Tristan, I didn't know a big tough guy like you could be scared of a little ol' thing like me." 

Tristan blushed with a sheepish grin. "Yeah well, mistletoe is a holiday lethal weapon." 

Tea snickered again. "Oh, come on. It wouldn't have killed you." Looking up at her friend's face, Tea couldn't help laughing again. "I'm not going to, Tristan. You know I respect your preferences." 

Tristan smiled. "Thanks. I mean, I care about you and all, but it would be like kissing my sister." 

Tea reached up and hugged the taller brunette. "Well, in that case, big brother, I'll settle for a hug instead." 

"I can live with that." Tristan gave her a hug before walking over to move the ladder over to the arched doorway that led to the hall with the bathrooms. 

Tea grinned as Tristan hung the mistletoe branch in the center of the doorway. She had decided on that doorway since people would be going through it less than any of the others. That way, the tradition of hanging a sprig of mistletoe someplace could be honored without forcing people who didn't want to into kissing. 

Seto chuckled and glanced around for his brother. Almost as if summoned, Mokuba darted over from the kitchen, a cookie in his had. 

"Ms. Aisu said I can have one now since I helped make them." He looked up at his brother with pleading eyes, clearly wanting to devour the treat, but waiting to be sure it was ok. 

Seto nodded, smirking as his brother grinned before biting off the gingerbread man's head. After a quick round of goodbyes, the group hurried out through the snow and ice to their cars and headed home. On the drive, Seto absently hummed along with the radio while Mokuba slowly ate his treat. It was silent so long, the older Kaiba thought his brother had fallen asleep, but a quick glance showed a pair of bright, blue-gray eyes watching him. 

"Are you ok, nii-sama?" 

Seto blinked in surprise at the question. "Why do you ask?" 

Mokuba chewed on his bottom lip, trying to decide how to word his explanation. "I know you don't like Christmas, and I don't want you to make yourself pretend to like it for me." He looked up at the next red light and found his brother watching him closely. "I just want to be sure that you're ok with all this and that you are enjoying yourself." 

Seto turned his attention back to the road as the light changed and drove in silence for a moment. "I am enjoying myself, Mokuba. I'm...glad you dragged me to the Center. It has been fun helping those who need it so much." 

Mokuba smiled, not his usual "I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world" smile. It was a genuine "Everything-is-right-in-my-world" smile. "Good, you need to have fun once in a while." 

They finished the rest of the drive in silence. After a light supper, Seto tucked a half-asleep Mokuba into bed. He brushed his fingers through dark bangs and dropped a kiss on his forehead before pulling away. "Sweet dreams, ototo." 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 5/6  
Author: Kris Ice  
Beta: Katbcoll  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing(s): SetoxJou  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.  
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different.

The morning of the 24th dawned bright and cheerful. Seto smirked into his coffee as he watched Mokuba practically bouncing in his eagerness to get moving. As he read his paper, he watched his little brother out of the corner of his eye. Mokuba had finished eating several minutes before and was watching him intently as he fidgeted. Finally, Seto felt he'd made the younger Kaiba squirm long enough. He fought down a chuckle. Mokuba looked like he'd explode any moment if they didn't get moving. "Alright," the brunette said, setting down the paper. "Grab your coat, we'll get going."

The black-haired boy jumped up with a cheer and raced out of the room. He came back moments later with his coat, hat, and gloves on. Seto chuckled as blue-gray eyes looked up at him expectantly. He grabbed his trench coat and keys before opening the door. Mokuba raced ahead and stood impatiently waiting for Seto to unlock the car door.

Once at the Center, Seto was stunned by the amount of the people gathered in the gymnasium. Not only were the usual kids and volunteers there, but also there were also families and nuns. Mokuba raced over to a group of he'd befriended while volunteering there. Seto held back, keeping close to the wall.

His heart ached as he watched the odd camaraderie between the people. He had started feeling comfortable around the ones who were there before, but once more he felt like he was on the outside looking in. It took him a moment to realize that the people were here to do the last minute preparations and the kids with parents were showing them what they'd done over the last few days. Some of the kids were practicing their lines for the plays.

"Surely you're not going to hide in the corner again."

Seto turned to the familiar voice and was about to snap back when the odd sight made him pause. "Ah... Sister?"

Ms. Aisu laughed. She was dressed in an outfit similar to a nun's. "Actually, I'm a novice. I haven't taken my vows yet." She shrugged. "With everything happening, I may not. While the church can do a lot of good, I'm starting to see the limitations to it too." She smiled. "I was going to wear a nice dress, but Mother Superior is here, so I have to be in uniform."

Seto nodded, looking around the room. "Who are all these people?"

Ms. Aisu shrugged. "Some are from the convent, the rest are the parents of some of the kids who stay here while they're at work." She suddenly smiled and grabbed his arm. She pretended not to notice when he flinched and started to pull away. "Come on. You can help me in the kitchen. We need to finish up the vegetables, the stuffing, and the ham. The goose is already done."

Seto stared to pull away again, but after looking again at the crowd, he let her pull him into the relatively quiet kitchen.

Hours later, Seto had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and had to pause every now and then to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. He had always thought that he was a decent cook, but after watching the two nuns and Ms. Aisu move around the kitchen, he felt like he was all thumbs. Surprisingly, he found himself smiling and smirking as the three women joked around. The time passed faster than he had expected.

Ms. Aisu sighed and stretched her back after tossing her apron on a nearby chair. "I'm glad everything's done."

An older blonde woman laughed. "Our work is never done. You know that."

The novice smiled. "At least the cooking is done for the night."

Seto looked up as a child ran in. It took him a moment to recognize Sam. The young redhead was dressed in a brown outfit that reminded Seto of the Robin Hood movies he'd watched with Mokuba.

"The guests are starting to arrive!" the boy cried, panting as he leaned against a chair.

Quickly, the three women tidied up the kitchen while Seto stood in confusion. "Guests?" he asked in a soft tone.

Ms. Aisu nodded. "We sold tickets to the plays to raise money for the center. The volunteers have seats reserved in the front rows and tables set aside for them during the dinner."

Seto hesitated, but before he could say anything, Ms. Aisu shook her head. "You are a volunteer." She smiled and grabbed his arm before he could protest. "Come on, dinner is about to start. If you feel badly about it, you can always make a donation later."

Seto nodded thoughtfully and he let himself be led from the relative safety of the kitchen. Ms. Aisu left Seto at a table and went to greet some of the notable people who were coming in. Seto recognized some of the leading businessmen and government officials in the group that were filling up the other tables. He barely managed to restrain his reflex to lash out when he felt a tug on his shirt. He was glad he did when he looked down to see Sam standing by his side.

"I'm sorry to bother you, mister, but my brother just got out of the hospital and I wanted him to meet you."

Seto blinked and nodded, startled by the young boy's request. Sam smiled and hurried off. Mokuba walked up to Seto, giggling. "You look like someone hit you with a board." The younger Kaiba laughed at his brother's exasperated look. "It looks like you've got a fan." Mokuba laughed as Seto's eyes widened in something approaching shock. The younger boy turned when he heard a soft scrapping and tapping sound. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked over his brother's shoulder.

Curious, Seto turned and felt his heart go out to the pair of young boys walking toward him. Sam was leading a younger boy with dark auburn hair. The older boy walked close beside his brother, ready to lend a hand but willing to let him do what he could. The younger boy was wearing a "turtle shell brace", a back brace with straps that went over his shoulders and attached to another brace in front that was also strapped to the back part on the sides. He was also wearing a pair of leg braces and was using forearm crutches. Sam smiled up at Seto. "Will, this is the nice man who drove Ms. Aisu and I around when we were trying to return that partridge I told you about."

Will smiled shyly up at him before shifting his weight to rest on one crutch so he could free a hand to reach out and shake Seto's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Seto squeezed Will's hand lightly and shook his hand before releasing it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Come on, Will. Ms. Aisu wants us to go sit at the table with the other kids." Sam looked up at Seto. "Thank you again."

Seto nodded a small smile on his face as the two walked away. His smile faded and he looked up at Mokuba who was still watching the brothers.

"Will is all the family Sam has."

Seto looked up startled. Yugi smiled as he sat down in the chair opposite Seto. "I talked to him earlier. Sam said that they lost their parents in a car wreck. He was fine but Will was hurt pretty bad. The doctors weren't sure if he would live." Yugi tilted his head to the side, watching the table where the kids who lived at the Center were sitting. "The Center worked out a deal with the hospital so they can make payments on his bills."

Seto nodded and glanced around. "Where's the rest of your gang?"

Yugi grinned. "They're coming. They volunteered to help serve."

Seto rolled his eyes but before he could say anything, Joey walked up. "And here we go, folks." Joey grinned as he set down three loaded plates. "Hey, moneybags, nice to see you loosened up enough to eat with the rest of us mere mortals."

Seto growled before smirking and replying. "It's Christmas, isn't that when heavenly creatures are supposed to mingle with mere mortals?"

Joey blinked before laughing. "I knew you were human underneath all that."

Seto snorted. "I believe you have me mistaken for someone else."

Joey chuckled before returning to the kitchen for more plates.

The brunette turned back to the other occupants of his table and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Mokuba grinned at him then over at Yugi before digging in. Yugi merely smiled and took a swallow of his cider.

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur. Soon, Seto found himself sitting in the front row watching the plays. He couldn't help smiling when they started the Twelve Days of Christmas. It didn't take long to figure out that pretty soon all the kids were getting confused over what came when. Soon, the rest of the kids were following Sam's lead when it became obvious that the redhead was the only one who remembered the lyrics. Sapphire eyes glanced at the seat across the aisle from him and his smile widened at the delight on Will's face. The look of awe and love reminded him of the looks Mokuba sent his way from time to time.

When the next play, one about a pair of twin Santas, was ending, Seto barely held back a laugh. He'd noticed that one of the reindeer, Donner if he remembered correctly, had an x made from duct tape on his rump. It was probably where the balloon reindeer had been punctured in the first place.

The play about the birth of Christ came last and all the kids received a standing ovation. Seto was startled to find himself standing and applauding with the others.

After the final play, the stage was cleared and a red chair was set up. The kids whispered excitedly among themselves, knowing that Santa would soon show up. Mokuba had slipped of into the room behind the stage to change into his elf costume. Seto frowned when twenty minutes slipped by. He was starting to get up to go check on Mokuba when a small hand touched his elbow. The brunette flinched, but looked up to see a worried Ms. Aisu standing beside him. He followed her backstage, worried about what was wrong.

"The man who was supposed to play Santa hasn't shown up. We can't let the kids down." She bit her lip, her dark eyes pleading. "You're the only one tall enough to wear the suit."

Seto seriously considered turning her down, but looking into her pleading eyes he was reminded of the small boy sitting on the first row. He sighed and nodded. Ms. Aisu gave him a brilliant smile and tugged him down the hall to a different room.

The kids were starting to get restless, and the adults were starting to wonder what was going on when a deep familiar "Ho, Ho, Ho!" rang out as a tall man in red walked in with a large bag of presents. Amid cheers and laughter, Santa mounted the stairs onto the stage and sat down on the chair. A pack of elves carried in another bag and emptied both of them, placing the presents around the tree.

Mokuba stood off to the side with a camcorder, grinning as child after child was lead up to sit on Santa's knee. The jolly old man would ask each child their name then ask how their year was before sending an elf to get the kid's present. The kid would climb off Santa's lap and open the presents on the stage. Almost always, there were squeals of delight as the kid found what he or she had asked for.

The last children who walked up to Santa were Sam and his little brother Will. Sam pushed Will forward when the smaller boy stopped a few feet away. Gently, Santa lifted the young boy to his lap.

"You're name is Will, isn't it?" Santa asked his deep voice full of compassion.

Will looked up at him in surprise, blushing as he nodded.

Santa looked over at Sam. "And you must be Sam." The redhead blinked and nodded. "Well, boys, I have a pair of very special gifts for you." Santa glanced over at the elves. He was glad the beard hid his smirk. It had been hard to get this gift at the last minute, but sometimes having fingers in so many projects came in handy. While a girl four kids back had been opening her gift, he saw one of his black-suited guards slipping in, handing an envelope to one of the 'elves'.

Mokuba raised an eyebrow as two elves stepped forward, one holding a box and the other an envelope. Santa set Will down carefully and smiled as the auburn-haired child tore into the package. "Oh! Sam, look!" The young boy held a laptop, the gift he had asked for, but never expected.

"Wow!" Sam reached out and ran a hand over the smooth cover of it.

Will frowned and nudged Sam. "Hey, open your gift."

Sam slowly started reading, his young voice stumbling over the large words. His voice slowly trailed off and his eyes grew wide.

"Sam?" Will nudged his brother again. "What does it say, Sam?"

The young boy looked up, tears in his eyes. "It says that someone paid for you to have the operations you need." His hands shook and he sniffed, staring down at the piece of paper.

The smaller boy shook his head. "Santa did it."

Sam got up and ran over to hug Santa. "Thank you," he whispered, pressing his face into the soft red suit. Sam smiled and looked up into warm sapphire eyes. "Are you an angel?" he asked softly, recognizing the young man behind the beard as the one who had been so nice to him.

Seto smiled. "No. I'm a big brother." He held the child a moment longer before the redhead dashed over to hug Will. The audience broke into cheers and laughter and some of the faces were wet with tears. Seto did his best "Santa exit" and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally made it back into the room he had changed in.

"Keep it up, Kaiba, and people might start thinking you have a heart."

Seto whirled around to find Joey lounging in the doorway. He snorted and looked away, trying to hide an embarrassed flush. He was glad he had at least managed to get his pants back on before Joey had walked in. "What are you doing here, mutt?" he asked, trying to change the subject. He looked up and wished he hadn't.

Joey shrugged, pushing his pants down. "I need to change into my costume, I'm playing storyteller tonight so I've gotta dress the part."

Seto blinked and started to ask what kind of costume when his voice caught in his throat. He had never really thought about what kind of underwear the blond would wear, but he never would have guessed that he'd wear what he had on. Joey was wearing a dark red thong with dancing reindeer on it.

Joey turned to see why Seto was so quiet and realized where the brunette was staring. He blushed. "They were a gag gift. I promised I'd wear 'em at least once."

The taller boy blinked and suddenly smirked. "Are you sure you're not trying to impress someone?"

The blond blushed as dark as his thong, but before he could respond, another voice broke in.

"Mmm, you look delicious."

Joey and Seto looked up to find Bakura watching Joey with a hungry look on his face. For some reason, Seto felt the urge to slam the former Tomb Robber up against the wall and demand he stop staring.

Bakura chuckled as he stalked further into the room. He raised an eyebrow as he pulled a paper bag out of the locker that Joey had tossed his clothes into. "Oh, what do we have here? Planning on doing some private celebrating?" Joey blushed and tried to grab the bag back before Bakura could open it. The lithe thief dodged aside and burst into laughter as he opened the bag. The blond sulked and glared at the former Tomb Robber. "A private celebration indeed," Bakura purred as he pulled out a quart bottle.

Seto blinked, reading the label twice before it hit him just what Bakura was holding. His face turned crimson at the images invoked by the name.

Joey snatched the bottle of chocolate flavored lube back. "It was a gag gift."

"So who gave it to you?"

Joey glared at the thief. "If you have to know, I don't know. It was sitting in my locker when I got here." The blond felt the urge to flee when Bakura's eyes narrowed and he licked his lips.

"In that case, what to you say to a private party? I love the taste of chocolate."

Joey blushed harder and shoved the bottle back into the locker, hurriedly throwing on a pair of pajamas and a robe before escaping.

Bakura smirked at the fuming CEO. "What's the matter, Kaiba? Am I hitting on your territory?"

Seto gave the white-haired thief an icy glare before sweeping out of the room, gritting his teeth as Bakura laughed behind him. When Seto reentered the main room, he saw that most of the people had left and the kids were gathered around Joey who was sitting on the floor reading from a huge book. Dark sapphire eyes searched the nearly empty room for a familiar mop of black hair. However, before he found his brother something else caught his eyes. The ancient Spirit had taken control at some time while Seto had been distracted and didn't seem to notice the danger heading his way. Seto smirked and made his way closer, wanting to get a good look at Yami's face.

Some sixth sense caused Yami to look up from his conversation with Tristan and felt surprise and trepidation fill his heart. Tea was walking toward them with a branch of mistletoe, but that wasn't what disturbed the ancient Pharaoh. It was the sight of a pink fur handcuff hanging from a slim wrist that made him want to flee.

Tea smirked at the wide-eyed look that Yami was directing at her. She added a bit of sway to her hips as she walked up to him. She could tell that it was only the ancient Spirit's pride that kept him from running away. She tried not to snicker, but his reaction reminded her of a little boy who was about to be pinned down and kissed. She paused a foot from him.

"Almost ready to leave, Tea?"

She almost laughed at his desperate attempt to escape without appearing flustered. "I've got a surprise for you," she purred, leaning forward. She barely held back a snicker as Yami leaned back from her. As she reached the mistletoe out toward him, crimson eyes grew wider and he looked like he'd love to vanish. "Merry Christmas," she whispered in a husky tone, conscious of all the stares directed at them. She leaned forward a bit further and Yami paled as his eyes grew even larger. Tea snickered and kissed him on the cheek. She straightened up and laughed. "What did you think I was going to do?"

Yami blinked and reminded himself to breath. "I...I...um..." He shook his head, deciding it would be better not to say anything. "Why are you wearing those?" he asked, pointing to the handcuffs.

Tea shrugged. "They were a gag gift from one of the other volunteers. He snapped one of the cuffs on my wrist as a joke when he gave them to me, but didn't realize he forgot the key in the box out in his car. I'm waiting for him to get back."

Seto shook his head and walked away. He found Mokuba in the kitchen with Ms. Aisu. After saying goodbye, the pair headed home. As late as it was, they got ready for bed as soon as they got home. Some time later, Seto was disgusted to discover that as tired as he was, he just couldn't seem to sleep. Sighing in defeat, he decided grab a glass of milk. As he passed by the front door on his way to the kitchen, a soft sound caught his attention. Sapphire eyes narrowed as Seto moved closer to the door, suspecting an intruder.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 6/6  
Author: Kris Ice  
Beta: Katbcoll  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing(s): SetoxJou  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.  
Summary: Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different.

Shortly after Seto left, Tristan excused himself from his conversation with Yami and started folding up the tables left over from the feast. He couldn't help wondering what had gotten in Tea. Usually, she wasn't so ... so bold. He shrugged, deciding it really didn't matter. He knew she wasn't on drugs or drinking or anything. He smiled. It could be that she was finally starting to take his advice and being herself instead of the perfect little girl everyone felt she should be.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Tristan looked up in surprise, recognizing the sultry drawl. Duke stood a couple of feet away, playing with one of the locks of hair that fell beside his face. The brunette looked away trying not to blush as he carried the table over to lean it against the wall. "I haven't been hiding, I've been helping out. What are you doing here anyway?"

Duke shrugged, watching Tristan work. "I bought a ticket. Helping this place out is a good cause."

Dark brown eyes looked up from folding the legs of another table and briefly touched dark green before looking away. "Yeah, that's why I decided to volunteer." Tristan shivered, conscious of the way Duke's eyes followed his every move as he finished with the remaining tables. "Why are you still hanging around?" he asked as he leaned the last table against the stack.

Slim shoulders shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you."

Tristan blinked, looking down at the slightly shorter boy in confusion. "Why?"

Duke sighed in exasperation. "I can't believe you're so blind." When Tristan looked even more lost, the older boy grabbed the brunette's shoulders and pushed him back into a doorway, out of immediate sight of the rest of the occupants of the room. "I've been trying to tell you something for months now and I'm getting the impression the subtle approach doesn't work with you."

The taller boy blinked, surprised by the sudden outburst. "Joey says that it takes a sledgehammer to the head to get me to pay attention sometimes."

Green eyes closed as Duke laughed. "A sledgehammer, eh?" He smiled. "Look up."

Following the command, Tristan looked up to see the branch of mistletoe that Tea had asked him to hang the night before. He looked back at Duke, not quite getting it, but before he could say anything, warm lips covered his own. For a moment, he froze, not knowing what to do. But when Duke started to pull away, hurt dimming his bright green eyes, Tristan grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him back, pulling him into a deeper kiss. When the lack of air finally made them part, Tristan discovered he had one hand in Duke's hair, the other around his waist.

"I don't want pity."

Tristan blinked before glaring down at the boy whose arms were around his waist. "Who say's it's pity? Maybe I've thought about it before but never had the guts."

Duke pulled back, needing to see the brunette's eyes. He relaxed as he saw affection, desire, confusion, and perhaps the beginning of love.

Tristan's hand slid from Duke's hair to his cheek. "Let's just take this slow, ok? If we're going to do this, I want to do this right."

Duke laughed, hugging Tristan before letting him go. "Alright, just as long as you are going to give this a chance."

The taller boy leaned forward, giving Duke a light, almost chaste kiss. The uncertainty in the black-haired boy's voice tugged at his heart. "I am."

Tea smiled, leaning on Yami's shoulder as they watched the pair. "I'm glad that Tristan is finally finding someone. He's been lonely for too long."

Yami nodded, lightly touching Tea's arm and nodding toward Joey. "We'd better see if he's ready to go. If we don't get home soon, Grandpa and Mama are going to call the police to make sure we're alright, so if he wants to walk with us, we need to get going."

In the end, Joey turned down their offer, saying that he had a few things to drop off before he went home. Tea wanted to protest, to demand to know what could possibly be open at that time of night, but Yami pulled her away and bid Joey goodnight before practically dragging Tea out behind him.

The blond watched them go before glancing over to check on Tristan. The tall brunette was gathering up his stuff and talking with Duke. When his eyes met Joey's the blond waved goodbye and nodded toward the door. Tristan smiled, glad that his best friend understood that he wanted some time with Duke.

Joey quickly grabbed a couple of boxes from the office and shrugged into his coat before taking off to run his errand before hurrying home. He was almost frozen by time he found himself in front of a huge mansion. To his surprise the gate was open, but that just made it easier on him. He slipped up to the front door and grinned when he saw a mail slot that might just be big enough for the thin packages he carried under his arm. When he opened the flap to push the first one through, Joey discovered just how wrong he was. The slot was slightly too narrow for the box to fit through it. The blond growled, squeezing the box a bit, trying to force it through the hole. He didn't dare leave them out in the snow where they could get soaked or stolen, not after all the effort he'd put into them.

Seto stood for a moment, bemused by the creative cursing on the other side of the door as the 'intruder' tried to force a brightly wrapped gift through a hole that was clearly too small for it. Finally, after Joey started repeating himself, Seto unlocked the door.

Joey looked up, looking like a kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Um... hi, Kaiba."

Seto leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow. "What do you thing you're doing?"

The blond blushed, looking down at the package in hands; the other was between his knees. "Just playing Santa."

The taller young man shook his head. "In that case you're supposed to come down the chimney."

Joey snorted. "And risk getting stuck or toasted, no thanks."

Seto chuckled and moved out of the doorway. "Come on in. You can put them under the tree and warm up before going home." The brunette paused and glanced around. "How did you get here, anyway?"

Joey passed by the taller boy, blushing again when he realized that Seto was in a robe. "I walked. Road's too icy for a bike."

Seto blinked in surprise as he led Joey into the den where a six foot tree was standing. "You couldn't get someone to drop you off?"

The blond shrugged as he set the packages down by the tree and knelt in front of the fireplace. "It's no big deal. I walk a lot."

The young CEO watched his unexpected guest for a long moment before breaking the silence. "Why?"

"Hmm?" Joey looked up startled, the warmth of the fire and the softness of the rug had started lulling him to sleep.

"Why would you bring me a gift?" Seto elaborated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Joey looked back at the flames and for a moment, Seto thought he wasn't going to answer. "Because it's Christmas, and because I think I'm finally getting to see the real you." Warm chocolate eyes looked up into chilled sapphire. "You're so good with those kids, so warm and giving. It's like...like you finally let your mask down for awhile. Did you know that Sam practically worships you? He swears he'll be as good of an older brother as you are." Joey drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. "I think the first time I saw you laugh was when you were working there, and I realized that there was more to you than what I gave you credit for." The blond looked up and blushed, shrugging self-consciously as he fell silent. "I saw someone that I'd love to get close to. Maybe even be good friends or more with." When Seto didn't say anything, Joey stood. "Thanks for letting me warm up, I'd better get going."

"Wait." Seto laid a hand on Joey's shoulder, causing him to turn and regard the brunette curiously. The taller young man wasn't sure what to say. He'd never learned how to express himself in words and had been forced to prevent any emotion from showing. Still, looking into dark chocolate eyes, Seto found that he wanted to do something, anything to get rid of that hopeless expression. He stepped forward, his other hand coming up to rest on Joey's other shoulder. "I..." he paused before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I think I'd like that too."

Joey stared as his bottom jaw dropped slightly. He was sure that this was just a dream and he would wake up any moment, hard and aching.

Seto gingerly wrapped his arms around Joey's waist and when the blond made no objections, leaned in for a tentative kiss. For a moment, nothing in the world existed except for the pair of them. The kiss was slow and dry, neither ready to be the first one to taste the other. The sound of giggles startled them and the pair jerked apart to see a mischievous little boy grinning down at them.

"Oh, I saw Seto kissing Joey Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night! Oh, they didn't hear me creep, down the stairs to take a peek. They thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep!"

Seto blushed bright red. "Mokuba!"

Mokuba laughed and darted upstairs, secure in the knowledge that Seto wasn't going to chase him. The elder Kaiba might get his revenge later, but the little imp was sure that Joey would keep him distracted for a good long while. His voice drifted back down to them as he danced his way down the hall to his room. "Oh, I saw Seto kissing Joey Claus, standing by the fire on Christmas Eve! Oh, what a laugh it would have been, if everyone could have only seen, Seto kissing Joey Claus, that night!"

The blond laughed, holding Seto so he wouldn't go after his brother. "Calm down, moneybags, the kid's just having a little fun."

Seto snorted and mock glared at the blond. "Haven't we moved past 'moneybags' yet?"

Joey grinned. "Only if you've gotten past 'mutt' and 'monkey'."

The brunette pretended to think about it for a bit. "How about a compromise, I'll stop calling you a monkey and only call you mutt when I'm teasing you."

The blond pouted. "In that case, I get to call you moneybags when I'm teasing."

Seto chuckled and hugged the shorter boy. "Deal." He hesitated, raising a hand to cup Joey's cheek. "Do you have to go home?"

Joey raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you moving a bit fast?"

Seto blushed again and glared at the blond. "I wasn't implying that. I just thought it would be better for you to sleep on the couch instead of risk getting ill walking home."

The shorter duelist grinned. "In that case, I accept!"

Hours later, as the sun was topping the horizon, Mokuba slipped downstairs and grinned before racing back up for a camera. Several minutes later, he was raiding the fridge humming along with "Jingle Bell Rock" an image of the scene in the other room safely stored on his camera. In the den, Seto was stretched out on a couch that was a bit too small for his long frame. His arms were wrapped around the blond that slept on his chest.

After making some toast, Mokuba flipped on the TV to catch the Christmas parade that was broadcasting from New York. He had just taken his fifth bite when he saw something that nearly made him choke. "Seto! Seto get in here!"

Startled by his brother's cries, the older Kaiba jerked up, nearly dumping Joey on the floor. The pair quickly scrambled up, racing for the kitchen, visions of blood and gore in their heads. To their surprise, everything seemed fine. Seto groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "What's wrong?"

Mokuba blinked at his big brother, clearly not realizing what kind of images had been playing in his head moments before. "Look!" he said, pointing at the TV.

The two older boys looked at each other mystified before looking at the TV. Moments later, Joey was on the floor laughing his head off. Seto didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There, on a gaudily decorated float was a seven foot tall plushy Blue Eyes White Dragon with a huge red bow on its neck. Other Duel Monsters were also present, each with some sort of festive addition. It took a moment for Seto to tear his eyes from the monstrosity someone had made of his beloved Monster. The next one to catch his eyes made his jaw drop. Standing next to the Blue Eyes was a Dark Magician, but this one was animatronic and dressed in red and green with a Santa hat and was waving at the crowd. Seto blinked and started snickering. "I wonder if Yugi is watching."

Mokuba grinned. "If he's not, I set up the VCR in my room to record it so we can show him later."

Seto laughed before turning to help Joey up off the floor. As soon as the blond was seated at the table, the brunette pulled out some more eggs and other ingredients and started making a proper Christmas breakfast, the first one he would enjoy.


End file.
